


Doctor Who And The Time Trap

by graestu



Category: Doctor Who
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-19 15:41:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22713130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/graestu/pseuds/graestu
Summary: The World Peace Conference is threatened.





	Doctor Who And The Time Trap

_"Were you in the vicinity of the Wiltshire village of West Chalkford on Wednesday last?"_

"No."

"Why, yes, Jo, we were! Don't you remember? That was the day we drove down to Savernake Manor to check the security arrangements for next week's World Peace Conference. That's the nearest village."

"Oh yes," replied Jo brightly. But then was not so keen when she thought back. "We both had terrible car sickness. I've never known anything like it."

"That's right," recalled The Doctor, pushing aside his microscope on the UNIT laboratory workbench. "Only a passing feeling for a few moments, but very peculiar."

He nodded towards the television indicating they should pay more attention to the programme.

"And then we were ten minutes late arriving," tutted Jo, turning up the volume. "Most unlike us."

Presenter Alastair Fergus was striding across The Green.

_"Villagers report a sudden attack of what they described as a feeling of seasickness. A trance-like drowsiness. Everyone was affected, all at the same time. It soon wore off, but they were left with the uncomfortable sensation that several minutes had passed which were unaccounted for. The police are, quite simply, baffled. And would welcome any information. Our next story - "_

The Doctor switched off the television, and rubbing the back of his neck as he thought, muttered, "How very strange. Because the police were there. Isn't that right, Jo? The siren, the flashing lights of the car?"

"Yes, it is. What could have happened?"

Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart entered, waving a piece of paper.

"Whatever it was, Miss Grant, it's happened again!"

The Doctor steered his Edwardian Roadster, Bessie, into the car park of The Corn Dolly Inn, West Chalkford.

He went inside to question the landlord about the odd events he had witnessed the night before.

The story began with a glance at the trapdoor of the cellar.

"I came up into the bar, and they was all frozen in position. Couldn't get a flicker out of no one. Outside's the same. Eerily silent. People on The Green, motionless. Some in mid-step. Well, I'm about to go over to the police car, but who gets out of it was no policeman. Pointy beard, black suit, gloves. So I hid. And watched him, I did, unseen. He'd go up to people, whispering something. Any road up, a few minutes later, he gets back in his car. They starts to wake up. Some of the ones he spoke to hopped away like rabbits or chimpanzees - until they realised what they were doing, and sort of snapped out of it, embarrassed, like. Himself had a satisfied - even sinister - smile, and drove away. Back in the bar, everyone said they had a seasicknessy feeling, and thought the record on the radio had jumped. In fact, I'd say they'd been in a trance for ten whole minutes. As if time itself had stopped around us."

"And did the police car have its siren and flashing lights on when it left? asked The Doctor.

"No, Sir."

"And what about when the events began?"

"That I couldn't say. You can't see or hear anything down there. You're cut off from the world."

"Thank you. You've been most helpful," said The Doctor.

At UNIT Headquarters, the team were assembled in the Brigadier's office.

They were studying a plan of Savernake Manor, and referring to a schedule for the World Peace Conference.

"It's quite clear to me," announced the Brigadier, "that we should capture The Master as soon as he's spotted. There are checkpoints from the gates to the door."

"That's the worst possible idea," snapped The Doctor. "With that device, if he notices anything suspicious, he will activate it at once and escape. The results could be devastating. His two rehearsals give only the merest suggestion of what he is capable of. No, we need a more devious trap than that."

"And you've already figured one out, haven't you, Doc?"

"Almost, Sergeant Benton. Almost."

Jo was thinking aloud while recapping the discussion so far. She tapped her finger absentmindedly on the table.

"The Conference opens with a photograph of the delegates on the front steps... They'll all be together... It's the ideal moment for The Master to strike... He gives them some hypnotic suggestions... But we can't look at the flashing lights or hear the siren because we'll be time-trapped ourselves..."

"That's it!" said The Doctor. "Can you do that, Sergeant?"

"Tap my finger?" he replied, puzzled, but never surprised by the sort of question The Doctor was liable to throw at him.

"Oh, yes, Doc. I can tap my finger!" he added with comical mock pride.

"Then you might just have saved the world, Sergeant Benton!" The Doctor grinned back.

The Doctor was waiting at the corner of Savernake Manor with the Brigadier and Sergeant Benton. They watched the last limousines sweep in along the driveway, each accompanied by a police car.

Uneasily, the Brigadier admitted, "We should have spotted The Master by now."

"Precisely," said The Doctor, pointedly hinting at the rejected plan. "As an expert in disguise, we would have had an international incident if we'd picked the wrong man."

The delegates were gathering on the front steps.

"Time for us to leave," decided The Doctor. "Good luck, Sergeant. You can start now."

He began tapping the small Morse Code clicker in his pocket, as The Doctor and Brigadier followed the connecting wire around the corner, through the side door, and down into the cellar, where a group of UNIT soldiers were huddled around an amplifier.

In the breathless hush, the only sound was the _click, click, click_. A regular rhythm like a clock. _Click, click, click_.

Then it stopped.

"The Master's done it!" hissed The Doctor.

The UNIT soldiers leapt into action.

Up the steps, along the corridor, through the main hall to the front door.

The Doctor and Brigadier began a more leisurely stroll the way they had come in.

Outside, everyone was in a fixed position. Motionless, standing rigidly, staring blankly in the eerie silence. Not a single movement.

Except for one man.

In his police uniform, The Master was walking briskly, approaching the delegates.

Startled by the front doors bursting open, he was briefly disorientated, and stumbled down a couple of steps.

The soldiers fired warning shots, and gave chase. 

The Master was wrestled to the ground, just feet from the car park, and in the uneven struggle, pinned down.

The Doctor arrived on the scene, and with grim satisfaction, peeled away The Master's plastic face mask disguise.

His pockets were searched, and the keys to his police car and forged security papers were handed over.

The Master was lifted up and escorted away.

The Doctor matched the documents to the correct car, and began eagerly examining it. Automatic interior shutters which covered the windows sealed it off from the flashing lights and siren. He was immediately engrossed in his new toy.

The Brigadier returned to Sergeant Benton, and whispered something.

Moments later, all those affected started waking up, dizzy and queasy.

Sergeant Benton blinked back to life.

Groggily, he said, "If this is all over, how about we call in at The Corn Dolly? I'd like to buy you a pint, Brigadier!"

"I couldn't have put it better myself!"


End file.
